: I was at a dealer that had to cars with the same color upholstry (sand) one leather, the other leatherette. I couldn't feel a difference. If you looked REEEAAALLY close, you could see a slight difference in the grain, but even at that, if you didn't know which grain was which, you couldn't tell.

: : : I decided to go with Leather on my 323Ci for three reasons:: : 1) The smell of leather. I LOVE when you get in to a car with leather, I find the smell very pleasing and gives the car a little more of a luxurious feeling. Not to mention its kind of a natural air freshener. :-): : 2) The leather is not as slippery as the leatherette. I tried sitting on both types of upholstery, and I found myself sliding around on the fake stuff. The real cow skin held me in place much better.: : 3) The leather has a softer feel to it, which I think is nice.

: : Sure Leatherette LOOKS like leather, but the similarity ends right there. If you can afford it, go for the real deal. Enjoy!